THE biggest day of Matt Parr’s sporting career so far came in a courtroom and ended in defeat. His most important competition was ruined by nerves.

This is Parr’s 12th year as a figure skater, his eighth as a Great Britain international. But aged just 19, the figure skater from North Shields can travel to this month’s European Championships knowing that for all his experience, time is on his side.

For the past two years, Parr has been national champion but the tournament in Estonia will be his first major senior international competition.

In a Winter Olympics year, it is a chance to showcase the improvements he believes he has made since last year’s World Junior Championships in Bulgaria, when he finished 29th.

“This will be quite a big event, something I’m not used to,” he says of the championships, which run from January 19 to 24. “I’m hoping to get a personal best.

“I’ve done a Junior World Championships before, last year, and that didn’t go so well. I learned quite a lot from that.

“There were probably quite a lot of nerves. I made some stupid mistakes on easy things, and that’s probably why.

“But I feel a lot more confident than I was last year.”

A good showing in Tallinn could even see him compete at next month’s Winter Olympics.

“I just want to keep winning the national championships and produce my best. I want the opportunity to go to major events.”

He was controversially denied that opportunity last year.

Great Britain instead selected Elliot Hilton for the World Championships, only to change their mind when Hilton’s form collapsed. Hilton took them to the High Court for breaking their own rules and won.

But what could have broken the then-18-year-old only made him stronger.

“I found out two days before I was due to leave,” he says.

“I sat down with my coaches and everyone was still positive about me in the sport.

“I try to use it as a motivation and take the positives from it.

“The Federation backed me and wanted me to send me, as did UK Sport.

“They felt I was the best skater and winning the national championships again allowed me to prove it. It shows it’s not affected me too much.”

Family has been the key factor in Parr’s story.

They got him into the sport at a young age, paid to keep him there and even encouraged him to move away and work full-time with coaches Debi and Simon Briggs.

He recalls: “My sister used to skate and one day – when I was seven – I went along.

“I can’t really remember my first session, or anything like that. The first competition I really remember watching was the 2002 Olympics.

“I was 11 when I was first in a Great Britain squad.

“I guess when I was that age I didn’t realise the expectations on me. I’ve kind of got used to it now.

“I don’t get any funding, it’s quite a poorly-funded sport in this country. It’s all down to my parents, really. I’m full-time and it wouldn’t be possible without them.”

His dedication even saw him leave North Shields for Dundee.

“My parents are still based at home,” he says. “They just felt I needed a change, so I gave it a go.

“I was about 16. It just seemed the right thing to do.

“I knew quite a few of the skaters there, so it wasn’t that difficult.”

Figure skating’s image is improving thanks to the success of TV’s Dancing on Ice. Parr appreciates what it has done for the sport, but skating with a partner is not for him.

“The learning to skate programmes always build up when things like Dancing on Ice are on,” he says. “I don’t know how many people carry on afterwards, though.

“I don’t think I would work very well with someone else. I get annoyed with myself quite easily, so it could be even worse for someone else.”

Anyone interested in sponsoring Parr can email him at matt.parr@yahoo.co.uk